Insulated rail-joint.



G. A. WEBER.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APYLIGATION FILED JULY 27, 1911.

. Patented Jan. '14,19 13.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.1

UNITED PATENT OFFICE GEORGE A. WEBER, 0E

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 191 3.

Application filed July 27, 19 11. Serial No. 640,880.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I. GEORGE A. Vanna. a citizen of the United States, residing at Stamford. in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulated Rail-Joints. of which the following is a specification.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved insulated rail joint which embodies novel features of construction whereby a firm and continuous base support is provided at the bottom of the joint, thereby securing vastly increased support, strength, stiffness and durability.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a rail joint of this general character in which means is provided for securing an increased bearing surface for the insulation under the rail heads, thereby greatly reducing the wear and tear upon the insulation and greatly prolonging the life of the joint.

A still further object of the invention is to construct an insulated rail joint which en'iploys the angle-shoe of a Weber joint and possesses the strength. stiffness and durability of this type of joint.

\Vith these and manyother objects in view. which will more readily appear as the nature of the description is better'understood. the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described. illustrated and claimed.

The essential features of the invention, involved in the details for carrying out the objects above referred to, are necessarily susceptible of structural variations without departing from the scope of the invention, but certain preferred embodiments thereof are shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of an insulated rail joint. constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a side ele vation of the rail joint with portions of the. angle shoe broken away to show the insulation between the channel filler plates, Fig. 3 is a trans erse sectional view through a slightly modified construction of the insulated rail joint, and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a still further modification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

This insulated rail joint possesses many of the features and advantages of the Weber standard joint, an angle shoe being provided constructed and the other elements of the joint assembled in relation thereto, as will be more fully pointed out, an increased bearing surface may be provided for the insulation under the rail head.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 1 designate a pair of rail ends which may be of any standard or preferred section and have the usual insulated end posts 2 interposed hetween the same. Channel plates 3 are fitted in the fishing spaces of the respective rail ends on one side of. the joint, the

inner ends of the channel plates .having insulation material Pinterposed between the same, and the said insulation being preferably provided by side extensions of the end post 2. The top of each of the channel plates 3 bears against the lower side of the respective rail head, while the bottom of each of the channel plates extends along and bears against the upper surface of the basal flange of the respective rail. A metal joint bar 4 which extends continuously through-' out the length of the joint is interposed between the channel plates 3 and the vertical v clamping plate 5 of an angle shoe similar to that employed in a Weber standard joint, the base plate 6 of the said angle shoe extending under the two rails so as to provide a rigid and continuous support for the same. The joint bar 4 is partially received between the upper and lower flanges of the channel plates 3 and has theupper and lower edges thereof beveled or inclined so as to correspond to the inner faces of the flanges of the channel plates. Insulation 7 is interposed between the channel plates 3 and the metal joint bar 4, the said insulation exten l ing entirely throughout the length of the joint, while an insulating fiber angle plate 8 is applied to the angle shoe so as to be interposed betweenthe base plate 6 and the bottom of the rails and also between the upright clamping plate 5 and the joint barsl. The usual angle bar 9 which is employed in the Weber joint may be fitted in the fishing spaces on-the opposite side of the rails and preferably extends continuously throughout the length of the joint, insulating material 10 being interposed between the upper edge of the angle bar andthe under surface-of the rail heads, and also between the bottom of the angle bar and the upper surface of the basal flanges. The usual bolts 11 which extend transversely through the various members of the .joint may be employed for holding the parts rigidly together, and these bolts may be ihsulated in the usual manner by means of, fiber bushings. 12 and fiber washers 13.

When the various elements of the joint are assembled as has been described and the bolts are placed in position and tightened, the rail ends 1 are held firmly in alinement with each other and a continuous base support is provided at the bottomof the joint without interfering in an manner with the necessary insulation 0 the parts. It will be observed that the channel lates 3 which are arrangedin alinement with each other and merely fitted in the-fishing spaces of the respective rails. act as filler members, and may be designed, as indicated more clearly by Fig. 1 of the drawing, so that the bearing surface on the insulation 7 between the'top of the jointbar 4 and the upper flanges of the channel plates 3 is greater than the area of the under side of the rail heads. This has the advantage of very materially reducing the pressure and consequent wear arid tear upon the insulation so as to-prolong the life thereof, and this advantageous result is accomplished without interferin with the "thorough and complete insulation of the base and without preventing the necessary provision being made for a continuous base support.

Instead of the angleljb ar 9 which is shown in Fig. 1 as applied to the side of the joint opposite to the channel plates 3, any other sultable means may be provided for completing or building up the joint. As illustrating a possible manner of completing the joint on the inside of the rails, reference may be had to Fig. 3 inwhich channel plates 14 similar to the previously described channel plates 3 are fitted in the fishing spaces of the rails, the said channel plates being enplates 3, metal joint bar 4, to ether with the insulating material associate therewith are, applied to the rails on one side thereof, while similar channel plates 14,'jointbar 15, and associated insulating material16 areapplied to the opposite side of the rails. An angle shoe 17 is also applied to each side of -the rails, the said angle shoes being similar to the angle shoe shown in Fig. 1, with the exception that the base plates thereofonly extend partially underthe rails and terminate short of the center thereof so that the inner edges thereof are sufliciently spaced to allow of lateral adjustment. The usual bolts serve to hold the various elements of the joint together, and the two angle shoes 17 form a continuous support for thebas'e of the joint, while the bhannel plates and 'oint bars cooperate with each other to provi e an increased bearing surface for the insulating material receiving the pressure from the bottom of the rail heads. Various other modifications in both th mechanical and insulating features of the herein described joint Wlll sug est themselves to those skilled in the art without fur outstanding flange, insulation interposed between the adjacent ends of the separate filler members, a metal joint bar engaging the filler members and the upper flanges thereof and extending the full length of the joint, a continuous base supporting member extendin under the rails, insulation, between the I filler members and the metal joint bar, and insulation between said base supporting member, the rails, and the metal joint bar.

2. An insulated rail joint including the rails, a shoe angle,a-pa1r of filler members both of which are arranged at the same side of the rails with their upper edges engaged beneath the rail head an formed wlth an the! description, and it will therefore be outstanding flange, a continuous metal joint bar interposed between the upright leg of the shoe angle and both filler members, and means for insulating the rails'from the fillers, the joint bar, and the shoe an 1e.

rails, a shoe angle, a pan of filler members both of which are arran" ed at the same side of.the rails within the shing' space thereof and each having at its up er ed e an outstanding flange whose und er sur ace has a greater area than-that of the under side of the rail head, a continuous metal joint bur extending the .full length of the joint and same side of the rails within t e fishingspace thereof, a continuous metal joint bar 5 seated in the channel of both filler members 3. An insulated rail joint inc uding the interposed between the'upright leg of the 1 shoe angle and both filler members, saidjoint bar underlying the up er flan es of the f filler me'mbers,and means or insu ating the rails froin the filler members, the metal oint 5 bar, and th'e shoe angle.

4. An insuileted rail joint including the I and arranged at the inner side of the upright leg of the shoe angle, insulation between the adjacent ehds of the filler members, other insulation between the continuous metal 'oint bar and the channel surfaces of both 11ers, and insulation interposed between the upright leg of the shoe and the joint bar and between the base of the shoe and the rail bottoms.

In testimony whereof I hereunto eflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A WEBER.

Witnesses i F. Sonnmmmxmm, E. K. KERSHNEK.

Copies of this-patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of intents.

' Washington, D. 0. 

